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what’s your yoga goal?

posted: September 6, 2010

During yoga class, are you secretly hoping that it’ll be the day when you magically float into handstand or sidecrow for the first time? It’s not that this is unrealistic, but if you haven’t done the work leading up to achieving a big goal, it’s much less likely that you will achieve it.

Our ambassador Nico (above), from lululemon Park Royal in North Vancouver has mastered astavakrasana (in fact, he had to do it several times while we were filming this video), but that didn’t happen overnight. Here are some steps to help you take your big, hairy, audacious yoga goal and turn it into reality.

break it down

Break your big goal down into multiple smaller goals. For example: if your goal is to do a handstand without the wall, set a goal that you can achieve in a shorter amount of time that will help you get there, such as “I will practice kicking up into handstand 20 times a week for a month by June 2011.”

write it in present tense

Write your goals in the present tense, as though they already happened. This gets your mind used to thinking that your dreams don’t have to be dreams; they can be reality.

Examples:
Asavakrasana is part of my yoga practice by November 2013.
I do a handstand without the wall and can hold it for 2 minutes by August 2012.
I can do sidecrow by January 2015.

make it measureable

Can you measure your goal? If you can’t measure it, it’s not a goal. This can be a challenging part of goal-setting, but there is a way to write each of your biggest, baddest goals so that they are measurable in some way.

Here are some more guidelines to follow as you write your goals:

use affirmative language

Say what you will do, not what you won’t do. This will focus your energy on the desired outcome rather than the actions or behaviours that must stop.

Example: “I practice sidecrow” instead of “I stop avoiding sidecrow.”

be specific

Make your goals as specific and concise as possible. Keep it under 15 words, with no justification required. You can always change your mind!

by when

Attach a goal to your date. State the month in addition to the year. Dates keep you accountable. Don’t overthink things too much – just pick a date.

and now, your turn!

Here is a goal sheet for you to write in your 1, 5, and 10-year goals. At the top, write what your age and life will be like in 10 years.